1978 20' Proline Classic Rebuild

[melba toast]

Thanks for posting the pics, I spend a lot of time daydreaming about what to do with cap up around the bow. I am defnitely leaving liner cut out also.

[Slyons1997]

Just wondering how you cut the liner out. For example what saw and what was your method on keeping the gunwhale even. I just started cutting everything out of my 78 20' proline, thanks.

[melba toast]

I measured off 4", took a straight edge, marked it with a sharpie and cut it with a circular saw. A diamond blade would also work fine.

[melba toast]

Forming up insulated cooler, and below deck storage





Forming up insulated cooler, and below deck storage





Just about done with cooler, below deck storage




Just about done with cooler, below deck storage




Third child in the rebuild, Mary Blythe !





Rear storage and cap, starboard half in my mold

[melba toast]

Part out of mold



You can see my plan for the cap, will trim down transom about an inch to make it flush. I cored the cap with 3/4 divinyl, plus some glass, so I knew it would be an inch or so high. I want the core to sit flush on the transom. Will bond the cap to the transom and then glass from the inside and screw in from the outside.



Once the transom and stringer knees are trimmed, it will be a nice fit. The cap is 13" wide. I have just enough room for batteries back there. Not sure if I will need the weight in the stern or not, but want that option. The front deck ended up being heavy after adding all that storage. I want the ability to balance weight in case it wants to run bow down. I am guessing the motor on a porta bracket will offset this, but just want options down the road.

[melba toast]

Flush hatches, gave the deck its first bath today, drains work perfectly



Looking back towards console


Here is where I am now. My mold is prepped for the port side of the rear storage and cap. Will pop part out and then glass the two pieces together once I get a good dry fit. The only remaining items are
1) anchor locker storage and bulkhead
2) refinishing and coring the cap, beef up hull sides
3) weld and fairing the main cap into the transom cap
4) flip the boat, fair the outside of the hull, prime and paint
5) fair the inside of hull, prime paint and non skid.

I am getting closer. This stuff takes a lot of time ! I hope to be painting by spring, but it depends on how much of a change I make with the cap.

[CLM65]

Looking good!  You know it is taking a while when you talk in terms of number of children born during the rebuild!

[RickK]

You've made a lot of progress 
Those are some deep boxes 


Ditto on what Craig said - but life does get in the way (I know - either that or I'm just slow  )
She's a little cutey - congratulations


Does seem that she's a little miffed that the boats not done yet though

[melba toast]

Got by for a bit today and popped the starboard side out of the mold. Trimmed and did a little quick dry fit. I still need to adjust the transom height a little and bevel the edges, but you get the idea. I put the two pieces back in the corner mold today, weighted it down and begain splicing it together with three layers of 1808 on the inside of the joint.

[RickK]

What is the beam on the boat?  Those pieces sure makes it look like the boat has a pretty wide beam. My 170 only has a 6'11" beam.

[melba toast]

the measurement across the transom is 83", so very similar. It tapers a little so at the widest point its a little over 7'.

[melba toast]

I took the old cap and cut out the raised area. I have never liked the way the cap looked. It reminded me of something out of an old ski boat. I have had the thing laying out in the boatyard for the last few years. And, everytime I looked at it, I got more inspired to take a diamond blade to the thing.





This rebuild has to be the dirtiest looking job on the site. I know it looks messy, but its going to look so sweet when its all prepped, fair and painted. Why waste time cleaning it up, I have plenty of work left to do.





You can get the idea of how the cap will fit with my stern storage and cap. I have the areas cut out for 3 bomar hatches.





The real fun begins when I have to create a new radiused edge for the cap, and make a liner where its attached to the front casting deck. In the meantime, I am going to get some 2x4's and true up the hull sides, which have expectedly began to bend outwards. I will true up the sides, and add stiffeners and a fuel line run, as well as triangular cap supports, before I do any more serious cap work. Stay tuned.

[RickK]

I guess it's an optical illusion - the new transom cap makes it look much wider.
Nice progress though 

So, what is the saw looking thing behind your boat

[melba toast]

The main cap will be 8" wide, while the stern cap is about 13" wide, so it makes it look fat and wide there. I think it will look nice when I tie it all together. I have a plan that involves a radiused corner back there also, but its all in theory right now. Its a big undertaking to redo a 20' cap. Thats 40' of fairing altogether, good thing its mostly a flat run. I know what kind of pain I have created by cutting up the old cap. But, what is the hurry? I am enjoying the rebuild and I will be glad I did it when I am done. It will make it much more fishable upfront with a trolling motor and all.

I will ask the Lasarges about the saw. No telling what the story is on that thing. That boatyard has stories for days.

[melba toast]

I used 2x4's to help the hull sides where the sagged outwards a bit. This will help the boat hold its shape while I add stiffeners and a cored gunnel support system.



You can see it all lining up. Rear cap and leaning post have been removed while I do this work.You can see a rough look at the interior flange for the leaning post. This is a permanant flange system glassed to the divinyl cell floor. I have interior flanges for both the console and the leaning post. I will simply silcone the console and leaning post in place and then through bolt them when I am finshed. It was really easy to do it this way.



Stiffeners made out of 3/4 divinyl and several layers of woven and mat. This will give me a good area to screw in accessories later.



Adding cap support wedges on top of stiffeners, you can see the 2" divinyl gunnel support along the top edge, radiused with microballoon putty. I made the cap support wedges out of leftover coosa board. I got both the port and starboard sides done. The stiffeners are held in place with tabs of mat for now. Will do a nice little layup over all the core and supports next.

I will also support the cap where the fuel lines will run on the port side with a fabricated collar of some sort. I will make a faux version for the starboard side to match. I waxed the old cap so it lifts out of the way between tasks. I always reattach the cap and hold in place with my 2x4 support system before the glass kicks. This is holding the proper shape fairly well. In the end, I am going to throw away the old cap and design a new one. Its too much fairing work to save the old cap, that would be over 40' of fairing. I might as well have stronger fresh glass, the whole thing will be lighter anyhow. I will prob make it out of a mat/mat/biaxial mat of some sort. Its going to be so well supported underneath. It will also be cored where I will have rod holders.  I am going to build a mold for the new cap, once the hull sides are properly supported. I will leave the sides open, but likely go with a liner up on the front deck. The mold will be created in place on the hull in three pieces and then removed, and I will do the layup elsewhere. That's the plan at this point. I knew I created some pain by cutting up the old cap, but I'm a lot happier person not having to see the old block thing.